Calendar — Help babies: The March of Dimes is recruiting WalkAmerica volunteers to help raise money for birth-defect prevention. Walks are scheduled Saturday in Butler County, Sunday in Covington, April 27 in Clermont County and April 28 at Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point. For location and registration information, call 769-3588 or visit www.marchofdimes.com.

        Big stretch: Donna Farhi will present “Taking Root to Fly,” a yoga workshop sponsored by the Cincinnati Yoga Teachers Association, July 19-21 at the Milford Spiritual Center. Cost is $200. Registration: Mary Fitzgerald, 336-8355, or go to www.cyta.org.

Research

        Hormone link: High leptin levels could explain why obese people develop dangerous blood clots that can cause heart attack and stroke more often than people who aren't overweight.

        The association between blood clots and obesity is well known, but the cause has remained a mystery. New research at the University of Michigan Medical School indicates that leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells in the body, could be the culprit.

        “Our results suggest that clot formation begins with some type of interaction between leptin and the leptin receptor on platelets — blood cells which stick together to make clots,” says Dr. Daniel T. Eitzman, a cardiologist at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. Knowing how to block that interaction could help prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who are obese or overweight.

        Leptin released by fat cells regulates body weight in part by suppressing appetite. When leptin levels in the blood go up, the brain signals us to stop eating. But the system doesn't work for people who are extremely overweight, who are immune to leptin's appetite-suppressant effect and more vulnerable to clotting.

        Dr. Eitzman's study, which was published in the April 3 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on research on lab rats.

        More research is needed to quantify the link between leptin and clotting, and the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Eitzman says.

Resource

        Ouchless: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons kicks off its yearlong “Prevent Injuries America” campaign this month. Call (800) 824-2663 or visit www.aaos.org for information on preventing sports- and work-related injuries, home safety, driving safety, footwear tips and preventing falls.

Siting

        Batter up: Parents of youth baseball players can go to www.goodswing.com for tips and techniques on hitting and pitching. The site features a message board, advice columns, links and product reviews.

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pofarrell@enquirer.com.
       

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